9 Wounded at Gang Truce Party

Nine people were wounded and hundreds of others scattered early Saturday when a so-called “peace treaty” party among four Los Angeles street gangs erupted in gunfire, authorities said.

LAPD Sgt. Robert Fiesler said three of the wounded were hospitalized in serious but stable condition and six others were released after being treated as a result of the violence, which broke out during a gathering at a rented warehouse in the 18100 block of South Figueroa Street in south Los Angeles.

“It was just one of those truce parties that got out of hand,” Fiesler said. “It’s what happens when you have underlying grudges.”

Investigators said up to 500 people--many of them gang members and their girlfriends--were inside the warehouse when a fight broke out about 12:30 a.m., followed by at least 30 gunshots outside.

In the panic that ensued, the crowd fled, carrying the wounded along, police said. Some were taken directly to hospitals and others were brought to safer locations where ambulances were summoned from pay phones, investigators said.

At least two of the victims were teen-agers, including one girl, authorities said. No arrests have been made and no guns were recovered, according to police, who said the crowd had dispersed by the time officers arrived.